Alternative Sedarim

By Brielle Goodman
Johns Hopkins University
(KOACH-On-Campus Editor)

What’s the point of having alternative sedarim? Why would we, the staff of KOACH-On-Campus, have chosen this for a theme? Isn’t it a bit obscure and irrelevant? The vast majority of Jews have a traditional seder, so what do you care about a whole month dedicated to alternative sedarim?

An alternative seder isn’t for everyone. Truth be told, I haven’t ever be at anything other than a traditional seder. That’s part of the reason I chose this theme. With the recent increase in alternative sedarim, whether it’s chocolate, or women’s or political, I have to admit, I’m curious as to what it’s all about. The traditional seder has worked for centuries, so why in the last ten to fifteen years, have alternative sedarim become so popular? I think this could be a perfect opportunity for me, and you as well, to explore the old versus the new.

Passover is among the holiest holidays in Judaism. And yet it is my least favorite holiday. I like Pesah even less than Yom Kippur! The seder is just so long and repetitive, not to mention morbid. It feels like I’m back in the shtetl in Eastern Europe in the 1500’s. I know it’s important to remember, but must we remember until we ourselves are ready to scream? Maybe I’m alone in this dread of Pesah, and maybe there are others out there reading this thinking, "Thank you! Someone finally said what I was thinking!"

So, I brought up this topic as an idea for a theme, in hopes that we could find out what this new trend in Passover sedarim is all about. And it finally hit me, after reading some of your 5 Questions, 5 Minutes responses: the Alternative sedarim are a means of questioning Judaism, finding a more personal meaning in the seder, broadening our horizons, and making the seder have a more modern relevance to our lives. They are a way to explore Pesah in a fun, personal, intellectual, and/or spiritual way. People no longer have to feel like they’re sitting in the middle of a shtetl, or that they’re about to run away forever if they have to hear "Dayenu" one more time. You can now take what you want, and leave what you don’t want, and celebrate Passover in a manner that is meaningful and relevant to you and the people you choose to celebrate with.

[Posted 2/20/04]